Going Up In Smoke
by TheCivilState
Summary: Kenzi gets Dyson's love back, but at what cost?


"It's impossible."

"Just go with it," she said, watching as Dyson clutched the glass bottle containing a vaporous wisp inside it as though it were his life. Which, considering the fact it was his only love, was a pretty true statement.

"What did you do?" he asked, rounding on the human girl who was watching him carefully. She shrugged, a nonchalant raise of the shoulder, and acted like it was nothing.

"No biggie," she said, "Just pop the top and get your love back, okay D-man?" Suddenly, the joy at the thought of having his love back was suddenly extinguished as the detective in him took in Kenzi's gray eyes. Gray eyes that were refusing to meet his.

"The Norn only trades," he said, stepping closer to her until she was backed against the kitchen counter with nowhere to go, "What did you trade?"

"Nothing important," she promised, reaching up and shoving the bottle close to his chest, "Now go on and get your mojo back." Dyson's fingers wrapped around hers as he willed her to take the bottle.

"Take it back," he said, "Whatever you traded was not worth it." She would've slapped him had his hands not been wrapped around hers because yes, dammit, it was worth it.

"Dude, D-man," she argued, "This is your one love. I know wolves were pretty brainless when they came up with this whole shit deal of only being able to love once, but come on. Don't let your stupid wolf braincells fuck this up. Take your love back and then go get Bo."

"I can't accept it," he said, firmly placing it in her hands, but she promptly shoved it back into his care.

"It's your love," she stressed, "That makes it more yours than anybody else's. I mean, unless you want to get all bubblegum pop romantic and say it's Bo's, but I didn't really peg you for that kind of guy." Dyson bit back a growl as Kenzi danced around the subject. Clutching the bottle tightly in one hand, he grasped Kenzi's chin with the other and forced her to meet his gaze.

"What did you trade?"

He watched her gray eyes gloss over as though the reality of what she'd done was suddenly settling in. Her lungs constricted and breathing was suddenly painful as her heart clenched and her eyes filled with tears she was never brave enough to shed. What had she done?

"I traded-" She paused because explaining it was difficult and admitting it only made it more true and right now, Kenzi just wanted to sleep and forget everything.

"I gave up Bo," she said, "If I see her again, I'll die. Something comparable to bleeding to death, but with a fae twist. The Norn didn't exactly elaborate how."

Kenzi's too small fingers wrapped around his wrist and pulled his hand away from her chin, a chin that was now trembling as she did her best not to cry. She tried to step away, but Dyson was there with a firm grip on her shoulders preventing her from leaving.

"I'm going to leave town," she explained, "Get away. Maybe I'll go someplace warm." She tried to smile, to laugh, to do anything that would lighten the situation, but nothing worked.

"I can't let you do this," he said and Kenzi laughed then, a bitter, hollow laugh that was completely foreign coming from her.

"It's too late, I've already done it."

"But why?" He had to understand. There had to be some amazing, profound reason that Kenzi would give up Bo to retrieve his love. There had to be something flawed and entirely selfish about this human before him. Something to tarnish her brave and selfless image, the image he had in his mind of the strongest person he'd ever known. Something had to ruin the image he had of her or else he wouldn't be able to let her go.

"I'm human," she said, "I'm poor, pathetic, human Kenzi who, according to you, really needs glasses. I can't help Bo. Bo needs someone strong enough to stand by her side. Someone who isn't a liability. I can't be that person, but you can." She pressed the bottle to his chest and willed him to take back what was rightfully his.

"Take care of her," she made him promise before stepping away and retreating out the door. She heard his gasp of pain but continued walking, counting her steps so she wouldn't start crying. Outside it was raining and when she stepped into the coolness of the wet weather, she no longer cared if she allowed herself to cry. There was no one watching.

"Kenzi!" She heard the shout and turned just in time for Dyson's mouth to collide with hers. It was wrong, it was stupid, and it was probably a betrayal to her best friend, but damn did it feel good. She sighed into his mouth and gripped his vest, wondering if it was possible to anchor him to her. Sadly, it wasn't, and Dyson pulled away, wrapping his arms around her and cradling her head to his chest.

"You didn't just break Bo's heart when you left," she said, because this was her last chance to say it and it needed to be said. She pulled away and looked up at Dyson, his hair already starting to stick to his forehead as the rain dampened it. Every inch of her was screaming that this was all a lie, that this wouldn't be the last time she'd see him. And yet, every inch of her knew that was true.

"You broke my heart too." Her voice cracked and she didn't care if she was crying or that she probably looked like a drowned rat crossed with a drunken raccoon. She didn't care about the code of honor best friends and sidekicks were supposed to maintain as she pulled Dyson back into her arms and kissed him with everything she had. She didn't give a damn about anything save for the feel of his mouth on hers as she did her best to memorize everything about him. Him, the damn wolf who'd lived for centuries and would no doubt live for centuries more. The wolf who would outlive her and no doubt forget her. But Kenzi wouldn't forget. He would permanently be seared into her entire being and nothing would ever be able to remove that burn.

"I guess it's only fair," he said, "That you're breaking my heart now."

She stepped away when all she wanted to do was step closer and bit the inside of her lip to keep it from trembling. And because this was the last time she'd ever see him, she pulled out her phone and took a picture of the alpha wolf Dyson, standing in the rain looking very un-alpha and un-wolfy and just looking at her like she was the strongest person she'd ever met. That was the memory she'd take with her; the memory of him looking at her like she was capable of anything. The memory of him looking at her as though, if given the chance, she could be the sort of person he could fall in love with.

There were no goodbyes. Neither of them were strong enough to endure the torture of actually admitting this was the end. They just silently agreed to go their separate ways and deal with the agony when they awoke in the morning only to find it wasn't some tragically beautiful dream.

Dyson watched her disappear in the rain and felt as though the Norn had ripped his heart out all over again.

•§•

**a/n**: Well that was just sad. Anyone crying yet? When I first heard that Kenzi was the one to get Dyson's love back, I instantly thought she'd made a deal with the Norn, which lead to the thought of, "What would Kenzi be willing to give up?" Seeing how Bo is pretty much the thing Kenzi cares about the most in the world… this is what I came up with.

Fave, flame, or faint. Or option a and c.

oxox


End file.
